Mission Leaders

Mission Leaders By Edward H. Anderson

John Miner Knight

Among the strong men who have recently been selected and set apart as mission presidents is John Miner Knight who succeeds President John L. Herrick of the Western States mission. He was set apart to the labor by President Heber J. Grant on July 16, 1919. Elder John Miner Knight is a son of John Allen Knight, a well-known patriarch and leader in the Church for many years, and Isora M. Atwood, his wife. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 14, 1871, and educated in the public schools of this city, and in the Latter-day Saints University. Aside from his secu- lar and religious training received in these schools, he was engaged for many years, ever since he was fourteen years of age, in the Mutual Improvement Association work. He is credited with having formed the first Junior class in the Church in the Eleventh ward, Salt Lake City. He was also a dili- igent member of the ward Sabbath school, and passed faithfully through all the grades of the priesthod, from deacon to elder, he being ordained to the latter office in 1893. In 1895 he was or- dained a seventy and be- came a member of the JOHN M. KNIGHT council of the Eighth President of the Western States Mission, with quorum of seventy, in headquarters at Denver 1903. When the Ensign stake of Zion was organized he was chosen a high priest,on the first of April, 1904, and on the same day set apart as second counselor to President Richard W. Young of the Ensign stake of Zion. Later he was chosen and set apart as first counselor to President Young, on Ntvember 17, 1916, which position he held at the time of his new appointment. He filled a mission in the Central States, in 1895-1898, being pres- ident of the Arkansas conference seven months, and secretary of the mission

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for seventeen months. In all these various offices and positions which he has held m the Church, he has proved a faithful, diligent, and careful worker, having a true love of his fellowmen to such an extent that he has thousands of friends among the people with whom he has come in contact. President Charles W. Penrose, in a sermon recently delivered at the funeral services of Elder Knight's father, called him "our brave boy, John M. Knight, who is going forth on his mission, to fight for the Lord, in the struggle of truth against error, and light against darkness." We are certain that the Saints of the Western States mission, as well as the people who are destined to hear through him the message which the Latter-day Saints have to deliver to the w^rld, will welcome this good man as successor to President John L. Herri ck who has so faithfully and weil conducted the affairs of the mission in the past number of years. Elder Knight was married to Florence R. Cornell, on December 21, 1893, and they have a family of ten children, eight of whom are living. Thousands of friends will wish them the blessings and success that are sure to come to those who have labored as diligently in the cause of the Church as Elder Knight and his family have.

OFFICE FORCE, WESTERN STATES MISSION At the dedication of the neiv chapel at Denver, and the release of President Herrick and Mission Secretary J. A. Marley. Left to right, standing: Isa Sumsion, mission clerk; W. F. Mallory, retiring bookkeeper; Amy Hansen, mission stenographer... Front row: J. A. Marley, mission secretary; John L. Herrick, retiring mission president; J. H. McGavin, bookkeeper.

Joseph E. Robinson

The retiring president of the California mission, was born at Pinto, Wash- ington county, Utah, November 26, 1867. His father was Richard T. Rob- inson. His beloved mother, Mary Kate Eldridge Robinson, died when he was in his infancy, and he was reared by his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Eliza Eldridge. His paternal grandfather, Edward Robinson, of Amer- ican Fork, is said to have been the first railroad conductor in England, hav- ing run a train from Manchester to Liverpool, in September, 1829. His

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grandmother, Mary Smith Robinson, died at Nauvoo, and the family came to Utah in 1849. Joseph Eldridge, in whose truly beautiful home Elder Joseph E. Rob- inson spent his childhood days, was a musician, a poet, and artist. At Santa Clara, whither he was called by President Brigham Young, he organized a little choir, with the aid of his gifted daughters, and this organization be- came noted as the best juvenile choir in the then territory. The same com- •* pliment was paid by Pres- ident Brigham Young and Elder Erastus Snow to the choir later organized at Pinto. Elder Joseph E. Robinson received his early impressions amid such surroundings. From his father, he inherited the practical traits so characteristic of him; and of his grandfather he learned to love the sublime and beautiful in nature, in music, and the arts generally. He was brought up to observe strictly theSabbath, and to attend to his prayers and other religious obli- gations. Brother Robin- son says that during his younger years he used to long for the day when ho should get outside his narrow confines and try the world at large, but he stayed at home until he was twenty-two years of age, because filial duty made it a sacred obliga- tio " to him to remain JOSEPH E. ROBINSON Retiring President of the California Mission * ten d e rly beared. When his grandmother passed away, he moved to Kanab and there he resided ten years before he was called as a missionary to California. As a boy Elder Joseph E. Robinson had excellent preliminary training for the mission field. At the age of 12, he became secretary of the Primary pssociation. He also served as secretary of the Sunday School and Y. M. M. I. A., over which organizations he later presided. At fifteen years of age, he became chorister of the Pinto choir, and he conducted another choir at Kanab. After having lived at Kanab a year he married Miss Minnie Ann Knell, of Pinto, who has borne him two sons and two daughters. The oldest son, Joseph Knell, has filled the position of secretary of the Central States mis- sion. He is at present in the aviation service, at San Diego, employed by the government. The son born in the mission field died when six years old. Elder Robinson has also filled important civil offices. While at Kanab, he was clerk, councilman, secretary of the school board, etc. He has been assistant postmaster, representative in the State Legislature and a member

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of the Constitutional Convention. In the Church, he has held the offices of assistant stake superintendent of Sunday schools and alternate high councilor, and, finally, president of the California mission, for eighteen years. Elder Robinson, though still a young man, as age now is counted, has had a busy, useful, and successful career. He and his talented family have done a good work in building up the — California mission comprising California, Nevada, and Arizona barring the organized stakes in Arizona, and the wards in east-central Nevada in- — cluded in the Weber stake and he leaves it in a most promising condition. It has grown during his administration from 600 members to 5,000. It has one ward and fifteen branches, presided over by local elders; and four 1 ranches presided over by traveling elders. Many organizations of aux- iliary associations are found. Buildings and real estate are now valued at over 1100,000, whereas nineteen years ago there was practically no property ; -« tb^ mission. The mission has been self-sustaining for its current ne~- but has been aided largely by the Trustee-in-Trust in the erection of its buildings. President Robinson, in his farewell to the Saints, recently published in Liahona, the Elders Journal, summarizes his labors in these words: "The faith, integrity and love of the people have been wondrously evi- denced by the increase of tithes during the past three years of more than 100 per cent, which is a splendid assurance that they will carry on the work of the Lord to a full fruition under the able direction of President Joseph W. McMurrin, who comes to the field so richly laden with experience, wis- dom, knowledge and love of the truth. * * * "Many rich experiences have been ours. We have seen miracles and healings under the hands of the priesthood, when men have been called back from the very jaws of death; the dumb have been made to speak, the deaf to hear, the paralytic to arise and walk; the discouraged have been encouraged, the despondent filled with cheer; the fearful made courageous; the weak given strength; the froward have been recalled and the wicked reclaimed from their evil wavs; the mourner has been comforted and the dead appropriately buried. The name of God has been acclaimed upon the highways and byways of country, town and city, and his holy Name revered in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in close communion with the Saints. In earthquake and fire, and the destruction of a city, in the expa- triation of 4,000 people from our sister republic on the south, we have seen the wondrous hand of God made manifest in securing the lives and properties of his people, and know, with Peter, that there is none else to whom we may go in such dread hours of trial and need. God has magni- fied us beyond our deserts and given inspiration and wisdom exceeding our experience and knowledge. Praised be his name forever!"